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Osborn trustees approve 2025–26 employee health plan options; district adds $5,000 HDHP and reports premium increases
Summary
The board approved six employee health plan options for 2025–26, including a newly added $5,000 high-deductible plan; district staff reported a roughly 10% increase in costs and noted that most plans remain employer-paid for single coverage.
The Osborn School District board approved the district’s employee fringe benefit plans for 2025–26, adding a $5,000 high-deductible health plan (HDHP) as a sixth option and confirming changes to premiums for the upcoming year.
A benefits presenter told the board five of the six plans offered will be employer-paid for single coverage; the core PPO option remains the plan with potential employee premiums and currently has about 22 staff enrolled. District staff said the $1,600 high-deductible plan’s monthly premium increased by about $50 to $16.50 (single rate shown in packet). The presenter also confirmed the district added a $5,000 HDHP option in response to staff requests.
Trustees raised concerns about dependent and family coverage costs, noting that even the least expensive dependent option exceeds $500 per month for an added child. The board discussed enrollment patterns and possible reasons employees decline district coverage, including alternative employer plans, Medicare eligibility, coverage through family members, or remaining on a parent plan for employees under 26.
District finance staff reported the employer-side increase in cost totals about $164,000; approximately $133,000 of that increase will be covered from the district’s maintenance and operations budget (M&O). Staff explained some positions are grant-funded and their benefit costs are paid from those grants, which accounts for the remainder of the increase.
Trustees asked staff to continue monitoring the market and evaluate whether to remain in the current insurance pool or go out to bid, noting that pool increases across other districts ranged from roughly 10% to as much as 18%.
The board moved and approved the recommendation to adopt the fringe benefit plan options for 2025–26. The meeting transcript records the motion carried; a roll-call tally was not provided in the public discussion.
